connie wrote: "As far as"crushing the challenge" goes that is a challenge in itself for me. You see I set the goal for myself as my eyesight is getting worse as each year goes by so the delight of physical readin..."

When my grandmother's macular degeneration worsened, she listened to the audiobook while reading along with the physical book. She liked the tactile feel of the actual book and could tune into the audio if she felt she was missing stuff on the page. I think about how to handle this a lot since I know my macular already has signs even though I don't notice it in my vision yet.

I choose Whereaboits+ the Wife upstairs

Anna wrote: "I’m afraid I don’t understand the very concept of this list.
Why would anyone want to “crush” their reading challenge?
It sounds like people no longer read books to get something out of them. It’..."

So true! This really wakes you up. I'm glad to know I'm not the only one feeling this way. If I'm going to read a book I'm reading it to enjoy it, not to check off another box on the list and have more books that I say I've read. That doesn't matter, what matters is that the book meant something to you. That you gleaned something from it. That's what really matters.

Anna wrote: "I’m afraid I don’t understand the very concept of this list.
Why would anyone want to “crush” their reading challenge?
It sounds like people no longer read books to get something out of them."
Hey Anna! I remember when I set my reading goal for this year, I was pretty happy choosing "3" and then Goodreads told me the average goal was like 20 a year... I don't know how much people get from reading 20 books a year but I do think it's healthy for people who are trying to work on building a nice habit and trying to reach a feasible goal for them. I for one appreciate the list because although my goal was low, I'm still only 40% done with 3 books!! It would definitely feel nice to read a short book to meet the goal, and perhaps the satisfaction of reading a single book, even if it's a short one, can incite in people the passion to read another one.

I'll admit that I try to throw in some short books to make my goal, but I think the number of books a person reads in a year is not the correct goal. When I was teaching, I had my high school kids keep track of what they read every day in class. They could choose whatever books they wanted off my huge classroom library. At first, they would pick the shortest book they could find, but they gradually decided since if they had to read anyway, they might as well choose something longer, which they inevitably liked more. A great self-taught lesson. These kids were low level readers, and one boy asked me at the beginning of the year if he could read The Thorn Birds. I told him he could if that's what he wanted to read - it took him all year and he loved every moment of that book. Personally, I keep track of my books read on an Excel spreadsheet with number of pages read for each book (sometimes it is actually an unfinished book, but I still read at least 10% of it to give it a chance). My goals are always number of pages, not number of books. I wish Goodreads could come up with a way to do this.

Anna wrote: "I’m afraid I don’t understand the very concept of this list.
Why would anyone want to “crush” their reading challenge?
It sounds like people no longer read books to get something out of them. It’..."

I use reading goals to remind myself that I do in fact want to be reading rather than, say, playing Candy Crush or watching Grey's Anatomy reruns. Since I also like to set and meet goals, setting reading goals helps me to be more disciplined about making choices that are in my own best interest. If by the end of the year I am somewhat behind on my specific goal (in part because I do read lengthier books - Infinite Jest being one I tackled this year), I can pick up a worthy shorter book, enjoy that book AND meet a goal, which then gives me a little jolt of dopamine which reinforces my choosing to pick up a book rather than play another mindless computer game (which, sadly, also supplies easy dopamine hits). I do the same negotiating with myself around exercise, healthy eating, being social when I prefer to be a hermit. All worthwhile endeavors that take a little more effort and discipline than their easier counterparts (laying on the couch, eating potato chips, alone in my pajamas watching Netflix).

Jim wrote: "Anna wrote: "I’m afraid I don’t understand the very concept of this list.
Why would anyone want to “crush” their reading challenge?
It sounds like people no longer read books to get something out..."

Thank you for a most wonderful post! Well stated. I agree 10000% ! I did the challenge to see how many books I read in a year; basically for my own edification. It was an interesting exercise, but it was not a contest, and I deplore people who think that reading, or life itself, is some sort of battle to be won at the expense of others. Now that I know how much I can read, I will continue to read those books that interest me, educate me, and enlighten me, no matter what the current PC craze is. Thanks again for your post.

Anna wrote: "I’m afraid I don’t understand the very concept of this list.
Why would anyone want to “crush” their reading challenge?
It sounds like people no longer read books to get something out of them. It’..."

Goodreads is owned by Amazon. Its ultimate purpose is selling books.

Anna wrote: "I’m afraid I don’t understand the very concept of this list.
Why would anyone want to “crush” their reading challenge?
It sounds like people no longer read books to get something out of them. It’..."
I agree with you about "crushing" your reading challenge. But I do try to read a book per week because it keeps me off the electronics. Social media sucks the life out of people. I lost a good part of my life on it in 2015/2016. My 2020 reading challenge was almost a book per week, but it was a real pressure and I succumbed to reading short books to keep up. My 2021 reading challenge was greatly decreased so that I could read longer books at a pace I needed.

Quality over quantity should be the goal...while this list helps to tick off the challenge.. it may not be the best books to read.. thing to think about

Anna wrote: "I’m afraid I don’t understand the very concept of this list.
Why would anyone want to “crush” their reading challenge?
It sounds like people no longer read books to get something out of them. It’..."

I, too, am not trying to "crush" my reading challenge. I enjoy reading and I set a number because it reminds me when I'm wasting time watching television I could be reading. As a teacher, I had my students set goals. My hope was they would start reading for pleasure, not to complete an assignment. One student actually said, "Miss, I'm mad at you. Now all I want to do is read." YES!
At first I was bothered by the phrasing "crush your challenge" but after reading through other comments I guess some people focus on the numbers and some don't. I don't think there's a moral issue here. Just a difference in preferences.

I look at this list not to "crush my reading challenge" but to see a list of short books I might enjoy reading that I might not otherwise hear about. In fact, saw several on this list I looked at today to add to my "want to read" list.

What bothers me is when Goodreads sends me an email to tell me that I am behind. So now reading is yet another thing I am behind on when it is meant to be my joy and escape.

Diane wrote: "I deplore people who think that reading, or life itself, is some sort of battle to be won at the expense of others."

How did you know?!? Who told?!? For every book we read and log, somewhere a slice of bread belonging to someone who's read fewer books lands buttered-side down. We use the cover of really just liking to read, and encouraging ourselves to spend time doing something we love, but the real motivation is the pain it causes people who are forced into paying attention. Thank you for deploring me, I totally had it coming.

Gautham wrote: "Quality over quantity should be the goal...while this list helps to tick off the challenge.. it may not be the best books to read.. thing to think about"

It's a list of books. It's not mandatory. The challenge is also not mandatory. It's strange to me that you think the list of quality books is so finite.

Lynda wrote: "What bothers me is when Goodreads sends me an email to tell me that I am behind. So now reading is yet another thing I am behind on when it is meant to be my joy and escape."

I guess that must be an e-mail setting, because I don't get those emails -- that would annoy me. But it does annoy me when I go to the GR page and look at my challenge and it says I am xx books behind. Ugh. I have a goal to read X books a year. I will make it. But that doesn't mean I read an even number of books per month! Some are long, some are short!

I registered to GR because someone recommended it to me, and I found it too good to be true. I generally enjoy reading and found that this site can help me get pushed to read more. The sad thing is, without me realizing, I started lying to myself. This year, for example, I've "read" two audiobooks and two children's books. I don't like doing that. That was not my main intention for enterimg goodreads in the first place. Now I feel dumb. I feel I've done most things in the wrong way. Yes, I like the idea of reading more, of reading more books a year and all, but I don't find it funny deceiving myself. I really like reading classic books, long books... maybe the challenge should be about how many pages you read instead of how many books you read? I'm not sure. Just a suggestion.

Anna wrote: "I’m afraid I don’t understand the very concept of this list.
Why would anyone want to “crush” their reading challenge?
It sounds like people no longer read books to get something out of them. It’..."

I totally agree on this, and I'm glad there's more people talking about it... thank you!

Vanny wrote: "I registered to GR because someone recommended it to me, and I found it too good to be true. I generally enjoy reading and found that this site can help me get pushed to read more. The sad thing is..."

Hi, Vanny! You have to chose what works for you and feels right for you. Nothing wrong with preferring longer books!

Soon, GR will be offering you a chance to see your year in books, and that will break it down by page number. Bookmark it, and you will see in the address the year -- 2021 -- will be listed. If you next year use that link, changing the year to 2022 (2023, 2024) it will tell you the number of pages you've read up to that point in the year. Audiobooks count as 1 page per chapter, so if it feels right to you then you might want to change the edition to print.

Whether you do the challenge or not, your goals are your goals, what feels satisfying to you is what you should do. You need to please no one but yourself. :)

Crushing your challenge did sound a bit like a how to cheat statement but other than that this list was interesting ... and I'm interested in some short reads as I've joined a few book groups in GR, many of which feature long reads, and so at times I'm waiting for a book to become available or for the group to start and I want to read when everyone else is. So having a list of quick reads to turn to is great for me as I don't want to accidentally commit to a doorstop of a book at that time.
I saw criticisms of audiobook readers here too and although I know there is a definite point that it is not the same as reading a physical book, I must admit I "read" mostly via audiobooks.
I agree it can be a bit more difficult to follow, I do vague out and miss things occasionally, and have to backtrack. Another problem, for me is during stressful passages in stressful books I find the narrators tone might make me feel things a bit too much, more than the nuances of my own mental voice. On the positive side I do a lot of outdoor work and driving and when indoors I have a fair bit of mundane bookwork to do and so it's a great opportunity to enjoy a book I would not otherwise get to listen to.
I also love reading other peoples GR reviews even when they differ to my own and I follow quite a few people whose reviews I have appreciated.

Mackenzi wrote: "People like to say things like "reading books makes you smart" but then we get people who for whatever reason cannot fathom that some people like to set goals and challenges for themselves- cannot ..."

so many great hints :)

In regards to people complaining about this list, I for one appreciate it. Although I LOVE reading like the rest of my fellow Goodreaders, I also like the yearly challenge. This year however, I have just been in a slump. Every book recommended to me is just not great when I start it. Not the books problem, but my mood.

This list helps me prioritize still achieving my goal and making me not give up hope on the books I want to wait on. Also, does every book we read need to be a love fest or an epic novel. Sometimes these smaller books are all we need to quench the book thirst.

Jim wrote: "Anna wrote: "I’m afraid I don’t understand the very concept of this list.
Why would anyone want to “crush” their reading challenge?
It sounds like people no longer read books to get something out..."

The nonsense that audiobooks is not “reading”, because somehow it’s “easier” )and reading should be toil, am I right?). I force myself to listen to audiobooks, because listening to audiobooks is a lot harder for me than reading them. I have auditory processing issues and I use audiobooks to practice listening. It takes me a lot longer and way more effort to listen to a book vs. read it on paper.

Additionally since I’m not listening/reading in my native language listening is way harder than reading (skills in foreign language are usually built up from easiest : reading, through writing, speaking and finally the hardest : listening and understanding spoken word).

But sure Jim thinks it’s not really “reading” because you can hang your laundry at the same time or do some other mechanical task. What a nonsensical and myopic argument.

M. wrote: "Vanny wrote: "I registered to GR because someone recommended it to me, and I found it too good to be true. I generally enjoy reading and found that this site can help me get pushed to read more. Th..."

That's cool! I will be alert to GR's e-mail news and what they say.
Thank you for bringing up these news! ;)

I’m afraid I don’t understand the very concept of this list.
Why would anyone want to “crush” their reading challenge?

Why don't you STFU? Everyone sets their own goal. You don't even have to participate. Go away.

Kinga wrote: "Additionally since I’m not listening/reading in my native language listening is way harder than reading (skills in foreign language are usually built up from easiest : reading, through writing, speaking and finally the hardest : listening and understanding spoken word).

That's a great idea -- using audio books to learn another language!

I'm surprised that there are several readers here that decided a reading challenge is beneath them, but their moral superiority contest is called for. You do not have to take part in GR or the Reading Challenge. You can sign out. But you don't because you want to draw everybody's attention to what a magnificent choice in books you make and, by your estimation, just how superior you are. I hope you didn't get kinks in your necks with all that patting yourselves on the back you did. And don't worry, I am not worried about offending you either.

I am one of 'those people' that reads 85 - 110 books per year. I'm sure I don't read the proper "moral superiority" novels you choose. I love a great spy thriller, suspense or British police procedural. I grew up with Trixie Belden, Agatha Christie, Mary Higgins Clark and Stephen King. But I have read everything from Shakespeare to Dean Koontz.

Here's why your collective comments have no place here. You make self-righteous judgements about people you know nothing about. I have been disabled since 2006 from an attack. I can't work or do much else. I was given a Kindle by my son around 2015 and he pays for my Prime membership so I have access to free books and great book deals. Disability payments don't allow for the prices of a "morally superior" selection of books, although my son does buy me books that I love if he finds out I really want them. Both my children are gems and I taught them a love of books from infancy. So he understands the joy they bring me. I discovered a world of reading that I had lost time for between raising children and working. Reading brought me out of a severe depression. I had access to the world of books. But rather than choose high-brow choices like you would, I love to escape my world of severe, agonizing pain of CRPS that I live with 24/7. I would rather escape into a world of espionage than a book I have to ponder. And I don't care if I can't remember each book I read, although it's not often I won't remember it, because I have them all logged on, you guessed it!, GR Reading Challenge! Isn't that amazing. I can actually use this Reading Challenge to log my books AND challenge myself. I don't watch other people's reading goals. Those interest me about as much as your superior book choices. But I have a log of my achievements. And I can click on any of those books and read the ones I love over and over again. Everything right there at my finger tips.

And one of superiority squad, can't remember which because you don't matter enough for me to remember your name, could not believe some people have over 2,000 friends. What do you care!? Typically I only friend authors of the books I like, but I have a few friends who I don't know, but we have similar reading interests. What is wrong with that? This is a place for people to gather, who enjoy books, who might prefer specific genres. I have become aware of books I might have never chosen but GR mentions it or another reader leaves a great review. And short stories should not be mocked. They might not live up to your self-righteous standards of the proper size of a "book", but I have read short stories that are fabulous. They have introduced me to a genre or author I have never read but it wins me over.

I know you think you made grand points, all of you morally superior readers. You will never know just how ridiculous you sound to the rest of us because you can't see past the nose of your face.

"I don't know you so I am not worried about offending you". Sound familiar? Well, take your nasty attitudes somewhere else. I'm sure there has be a morally suitable site you can join, pat yourselves on backs. Go there.

Aimee wrote: "I'm surprised that there are several readers here that decided a reading challenge is beneath them, but their moral superiority contest is called for. You do not have to take part in GR or the Read..."

Hi, Aimee!

I'm so sorry about your chronic pain. Your post was amazing. I don't judge other people's reading choices, and I would never want to shame someone for the pace at which they read, or their comprehension.

Being bullied when I was a kid for being the weird girl with a romance novel, even by teachers, took any impulse out of me to make someone feel bad.

And when people get on the audiobooks aren't real books thing, I think of people who've read all their lives switching to a different format, and having someone tell them the title they love -- reader -- is no longer theirs.

Reading is supposed to build empathy, but sometimes it's hard to tell.

Jim wrote: "Anna wrote: "I’m afraid I don’t understand the very concept of this list.
Why would anyone want to “crush” their reading challenge?
It sounds like people no longer read books to get something out..."

I have to question why you are even on this site if your feel this way. I love reading, I don't care if I make the challenge or not. What I do know is that THIS site got me reading again and I am so glad to be part of it. Oh, and yes, I do LISTEN to books while going on road trips that last over an hour and I enjoy those books just as much as the ones I read.

Deborah wrote: "
I have to question why you are even on this site if your feel this way. I love reading, I don't care if I make the challenge or not."

No Deborah you are doing it wrong!

Shhh it's thoughts like this that will get you arrested by our colleagues "The Reading Police" :)

M... I have been reading your comments. You are spot on, and without shaming or having a nasty attitude. Although my comment could/should have been worded more pleasantly, I stand by it. Thank you for understanding where I am coming from. I don't like self-righteous attitudes.

I have enjoyed audiobooks as well. Sometimes the pain is so bad even holding a book or my Kindle is too much and I can just listen. Other times I am doing sudoku or coloring but I can't handle the quiet. I've known people that have such a long drive to work and back each day so they listen to books. I think that is smart, taking advantage of that block of time to learn another language, hear a spy thriller, or whatever the selection.

I don't like the self elected gate keepers that denegrade others who don't live up to their morally superior views. Books are many things to many people. An escape, a challenge, a way to better themselves, entertainment, education, a life saver... Whatever it is, there are others that feel the same. They meet up here on GR, share ideas, offer book ideas, leave reviews, branch out. This is just for enjoyment and comradery. It should be kept that way.

Carola wrote: "Let's see, what are we upset about these days? checks comments Ah, people are reading too much. Got it. How dare they!"

Now that's funny!

Neil wrote: "Deborah wrote: "
I have to question why you are even on this site if your feel this way. I love reading, I don't care if I make the challenge or not."

No Deborah you are doing it wrong!

Shhh it's..."

Neil,

As long as you read books with no fewer than 600 pages, that you borrow from the library, written by men who've been dead for at least a hundred years, in print, and can give a detailed synopsis, but not too many of these books that you will look to not take books seriously enough, you will not run afoul of The Reading Police.

Aimee wrote: "M... I have been reading your comments. You are spot on, and without shaming or having a nasty attitude. Although my comment could/should have been worded more pleasantly, I stand by it. Thank you ..."

I color too. Coloring, perhaps even more than reading, helped me through severe depression and anxiety.

Audiobooks are something I share with my husband. I have a restaurant, and when my husband and I do prep work, we listen. If someone who listened to an audiobook version, sat down next to someone holding the print version, they could discuss the book with each other. And maybe the audiobook person paid less attention, but maybe they listened carefully, rewound occasionally, and the print book person skimmed. And what really does it matter?

I think the key to this whole argument is not to worry about what anyone else is doing, to not assume they're thinking of you, or trying to make you feel bad. If you're looking at someone else's books to figure out how you're better, you need to figure out some things.

Thanks for being my new GR friend. Can't have too many. ;)

I just got a copy of WELCOME TO THE FUTURE by Megan Rose. Only 70 pages! Promises to be a juicy read for those who like disclosure.

Anna wrote: "I’m afraid I don’t understand the very concept of this list.
Why would anyone want to “crush” their reading challenge?
It sounds like people no longer read books to get something out of them. It’..."

Hi, they probably meant to show us small books incase we're too busy for big ones.
and the "crush" your reading challenge is because there are many people who aren't able to finish the goal they set for their year.

So, Goodreads made a collection of good books for those.

Hope this helps!

Viktoriya & Anna, yes you are both right.
I read what I want to read and I do follow certain authors and yes it’s great to read a different authors story.
I’ve failed at my challenge this year even though I still purchase books that I want to read when I have five minutes to myself.
Always great to have a challenge, it’s usually how many books I can read in two weeks whilst on holiday sunbathing - not done that this year because of that thing they call covid!!
Roll on 2022 where I will start reading again properly.
Until then, I will enjoy reading everyone’s feedback on books which is what I really want to know - we are all unique and see things differently- always good to discuss views not opinions.
Keep up great reading peeps, it’s quality not quantity

Aimee wrote: "I'm surprised that there are several readers here that decided a reading challenge is beneath them, but their moral superiority contest is called for. You do not have to take part in GR or the Read..."

Hi Aimee, there's a lot of evidence that reading/being read to can help with chronic pain. My mother suffers from a degenerative spine problem and also uses reading to cope, and she reads mostly detective novels.

I'm not sure where you are located but most US libraries have kindle books in their collections. This might help you access some of the pricier titles that you want. My library is great about ordering any current book that I request if it's not in their collection.

I set my reading challenge to 10 books. I have read or listened to 6 so far. The best one was A Gentleman from Moscow. This is one of the most excellent reads of my life. I agree with previous commenter, that after certain books, like this, you want to savor it, and think about it. It enriched my life in so many ways. The reading challenge has motivated me and set me back to a good reading habit. However, if I’m feeling anxious about crushing my goal, that defeats the purpose. Reading is pleasurable to me, and not a competition.

Anna wrote: "I’m afraid I don’t understand the very concept of this list.
Why would anyone want to “crush” their reading challenge?
It sounds like people no longer read books to get something out of them. It’..."

I admire someone having the time and energy to judge other people’s motivation for reading. I’d like to find some of that time and energy.

In the meantime, I’m just gonna sit here and raise a cup to anyone reading, whatever they’re reading, whenever they’re reading, and for whatever reason they’re reading. Cheers!

Trish wrote: "I'm not sure where you are located but most US libraries have kindle books in their collections. This might help you access some of the pricier titles that you want. My library is great about ordering any current book that I request if it's not in their collection."

That's an excellent suggestion. I used that all the time. You can do it all from home, if you have a card, and you have access to the whole library system your library is a part of. Audiobooks too. (Libby app.)

Anna wrote: "I’m afraid I don’t understand the very concept of this list.
Why would anyone want to “crush” their reading challenge?
It sounds like people no longer read books to get something out of them. It’..."
I will join you on that planet!

Deanna wrote: "Read what you want and stop stressing about what other people are reading to the point that you feel the need to write long-winded comments about it. Doesn't affect you! I think this list is great...."
She was not objecting to the length of the books, but the concept of reaching some insane reading goal...
the whole concept of shorter books is fascinating - can the writer transmit a complete and compelling story in that time?

Laila wrote: "People read for many different reasons and participate on Goodreads for different reasons. What does it matter if some people get excited about “crushing” their goal? Let them be excited. And that ..."
Actually audio books take longer to get through for me... in actual hours. but the advantage is being able to enjoy the story while on long drives, while housecleaning, knitting... (but I do prefer to be able to really savor phrasing etc with self-pacing with the written word...)

Julie wrote: "the whole concept of shorter books is fascinating - can the writer transmit a complete and compelling story in that time? "

The greatest writers in the world did some of their best work with shorter works. Edgar Allan Poe, Shirley Jackson, Hemingway, Steinbeck, Margaret Atwood, Bradbury, London, Kafka, Chekhov, Carmen Maria Machado... I can go on, but frankly the list is too long.

Writing shorter works often works different writing muscles, and has different goals, but what would the world be like without those works. I can't imagine.

Mara wrote: "I can't believe there's an argument over this. Some of us like having reading challenges because it motivates us to read more. I find personal satisfaction in meeting my reading goal for the year. ..." You said it right.

I find it a little odd that people are getting upset that some people might read short books to reach their goal. These people are obviously trying to read and the goal is personal. If reading short novellas allows them to reach that goal and feel accomplished which mostly likely encourage them to read more, isn't that the good thing? We don't all read the same way and have the same amount of time in the day. I'm happy for anyone who meets their goal this year!

Jim wrote: "Anna wrote: "I’m afraid I don’t understand the very concept of this list.
Why would anyone want to “crush” their reading challenge?
It sounds like people no longer read books to get something out..."
As a person who listens to audiobooks I can say that it's not fair to judge a person who chooses to do so.

For me, personally, it's not about multitasking, it's an attention span thing. I get distracted very easily when reading. I sometimes have to read a sentence multiple times because my mind wanders. An audiobook forces me to focus. I also make myself do the Goodreads challenge because it's helpful in getting me to do something that I enjoy. I used to have so many books left unread and unfinished because I was just so mentally exhausted and depressed to do anything. The book challenge gives me a goal to do something that gets me out of a depression spiral.

Listening to audiobooks is valid. I'm tired of the narrative that it's not. This is very pretentious and gate-keepy to tell people they aren't valid for what they choose to read, how long it takes them, and in what manner they choose to read.

Comic books and graphic novels are just as valid as a regular novel. 100 pages or 10,000 pages, it doesn't matter. Reading is reading and we need to stop trying to say what is or isn't good. It's ok to want to challenge yourself to read a certain amount of books. It's also ok to read a book and then spend as much time as you want to mull it over.

As one person said, stop stressing about what other people are reading and read FOR YOU. If this list doesn't apply to you, then find one that does. But don't try to tell other people they're wrong for how they read.

I get upset about first-world problems too, it's normal, but maybe we could devote the rant energy to some issues that are having real-world detrimental consequences.

I appreciate all book recommendations, long or short. Are there optimum ways to read (for depth, to grow, for healing, for transformation, for joy), MAYBE, but you know, not my business?! Thank you, Goodreads, for the recommendations!

Would love to read “Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke” & “Nothing But Blackened Teeth” by the end of the year. Already own the latter so halfway there. Lol. I personally love the Goodreads Challenge. Nuf said. 🙃